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US 5,666,739 AGranted
Energy conservation coupler
OwnerWaldemar Kruegerinventor
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OwnerWaldemar Kruegerinventor
Estimating the term…
The electric clothes dryer is a valuable convenience appliance in our life style. For half of a century its usefulness has been enjoyed through the availability of inexpensive electric energy. But, it is a wasteful energy device. Not much has been done to correct this shortcoming. I feel there is a great need to approach energy conservation with an open mind to alternatives which may be easily available to us. I have invented a unique and novel approach to using heated air which is conveniently available in a large percentage of our homes. The source, for this application, has never been tapped. In the U.S. and Canada as needed by climate conditions, we use a range of central air heating and cooling systems. My invention makes possible a transfer of heat from these systems to operate electric clothes dryers with a majority situation of no heat energy cost.
An energy conservation coupler for use in combination with an electric clothes dryer, said coupler consisting of a box attached to said clothes dryer, said box including a top wall section having a first hot air inlet, a first exhaust outlet and a second exhaust outlet, a second bottom wall section, parallel to said first wall section, having a first exhaust inlet, an ambient air inlet and a dryer exhaust inlet, said box further including a flexible duct exhaust selector having two ends, a first end permanently connected to said first exhaust inlet and a second end positionable via a sliding plate which is attached to and surrounds said second end, into either a first position wherein the second end of the duct communicates with the first exhaust outlet or a second position wherein the second end communicates with the second exhaust outlet, said box further including a damper plate pivotable on a damper mounting shaft between two positions, a first damper position parallel to and between said top and bottom wall sections and a second damper position perpendicular to said wall sections, said damper lockable in said second damper position by an electromagnet mounted on a partition wall which is perpendicular to the top and bottom wall sections and which partially closes off air flow between the first hot air inlet and the first exhaust outlet, said second damper position stopping all air flow between the first hot air inlet and the first exhaust outlet while directing all air flow between said hot air inlet and said dryer exhaust inlet, said first damper position blocking air flow between said hot air inlet and said dryer exhaust inlet and allowing air flow from said dryer exhaust into said ambient air inlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.